Welcome back to Thrak Attack! And Happy Halloween! It's such an amazing and fun time of year and a LOT of stuff to get through! But before we get into that, the question of the week is What was you favorite halloween costume. My senior year of high school I was the Joker from the Dark Knight and it was a custom-made costume. Let us know what your favorite costume was! Let's get into the news!
NEWS!
- Fallout 76 will have micro transactions; I will not be buying any because I already paid money to buy the game.
-Playstation Classic is missing some great games such as Spyro and Crash Bandicoot! They just remastered both games so I'm assuming it's a financial move.
-Wreck-it-Ralph and Vanellope are going to get new Meet and Greets at both EPCOT and California Adventure.
-Rhett and Link are kicking of Vidcon in London with a live concert! These guys can do no wrong in my book.
-Adi Shankar is rumored to produce a "Legend of Zelda Show". I don't understand why they keep trying this, the main character never speaks!
-Marvel Fans put up a "Rehire James Gunn" billboard just outside of Disneyland. I am totally onboard with this, many other actors they used in other films have done/said some inappropriate stuff throughout their careers as well.
"Masters of the Sun Vol. 1" by Black Eyed Peas
It's been a while since I've heard of anything from the Black Eyed Peas, since 2011 actually. They have always been in the public eye from their breakout single "Where is the Love" to controversial songs like "Let's Get it Started" (which I know is not the real title). But I have gone back and listened to their older music before Fergie and it is fantastic! That's my kind of hip-hop! "Get Original", "Weekends", and "Request + Line" are phenomenal songs that focus on the lyrics and the groove. And if you're reading this and you know me you know that I'm all about the groove! So this new album is a return to form for them. They are back down to 3 extremely talented members Will.I.AM, Apl.de.ap, and Taboo which is such a great balance of voices. This trio has been the heart and soul of the group and in my eyes are the only three members that matter. I do enjoy Fergie and some of her music but I feel like adding her to the group's roster was just a way to get noticed and it worked. So now they're back to the trio for their 7th studio album. To be totally fair, I am not the biggest fan of hip-hop music. I enjoy listening to it casually but not full albums so take everything I say with that in mind. This album does focus on the rapping aspect of hip-hop which is what I believe has been missing from hip-hop the past few years. With emo rap and mumble rap the messages of the songs have changed and so has the need for good flow and rhymes. This album along with Eminem's "Kamikaze" album are a call to the rappers out there to do more with their rhymes and give their music a purpose. For me, a lot of this album blends together and it's all enjoyable but I can only truly pick out one song from this album and that is "CONSTANT part 1 and 2" which is featuring Slick Rick. This song sticks out to me more than any other on the album for 3 reasons. 1. I like both beats and styles that happen throughout the song. 2. I love Slick Rick's classic "tick tock you don't stop" used throughout the song. 3. The focus is back on the lyrics and not on the beat. From 2009 on the Black Eyed Peas forgot about the purpose of their music and that is the words and I truly like feel like this album and "CONSTANT" is a step in the right direction for the group and for rap music as a whole. Will this be on vinyl on my ultimate shelf, no. But I do understand the album's purpose and I do appreciate what they are doing as musicians.
Apple October 2018 Event
Apple revealed some new devices this week which will be available next week. The first is a completely redesigned MacBook Air which seems very similar to the 2015 MacBook which is what I have. It's a great "budget" friendly option for those who don't have 1500 dollars to spend on a laptop but to me as a regular consumer the changes aren't that much other than faster and a better screen than the 2015 MacBook. But it does keep the 3 colors silver, gold, and space grey. Next the revealed the updated Mac mini which is only in space grey and is perfect for people who like Mac minis which is...some people I guess. Finally we had the new iPad Pro lineup. These iPads come in 2 sizes of 11" and 12.9", use Face ID which means no home button, use the A12X Bionic chip to make it the fastest iPad yet, launches with a new Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, but only comes in 2 colors?!? What the hell Apple! As soon as I start going gold to have a nice looking ecosystem you stop making a gold color. My MacBook, Apple Watch, and 9.7 iPad Pro are all gold with black accessories; why doesn't this iPad have a gold color? Was it that difficult to make? So I will keeping my set-up the way it is until they update that and add a gold color. This is for aesthetic purposes. I've I'm gonna be stylish I might as well be gold. That is all for the Apple Event, make a gold iPad.
Red Dead Redemption 2
This is Rockstar's pride and joy. The cream of the crop. The ultimate open world game and the ultimate cowboy game. So... let me... play... the... damn... game! The tutorial was 2 and a half hours long and when I died once because I "abandoned" the mission it sent me WAY back. The story needs to unfold, I get that; but this was just as bad if not worse than Tutorial Island on Pokemon Sun and Moon. They wouldn't let me run, ride my horse faster than a gallop, or give me some practice time with the controls before sending me into a firefight and then punishing me when I fail. Of course I'm gonna fail, I have no idea how to play this game yet! Once we got out of the tutorial and the game opened up it became a lot more enjoyable. It looks fantastic, the music is great, the voice acting and facial renderings are near perfect. But the amount of time riding horses, talking, and waiting for other NPCs to do their thing really take away from this being a fantastic game. Other reviewers have said wonderful things about it, IGN gave it 10 out of 10, but I'm just not feeling it. It just seems like there's a lot of wasted potential and the quests are sometimes amazing like the oil bank heist, or getting drunk with Lenny at the Saloon (best moment in that game so far). But others are really annoying and time consuming like bringing an old lady back to town but the game not letting me ride horse faster because she's on the horse with me. Another useless side quest was finding a guy upset at his girlfriend and talking to him but then that's it. There aren't any real side missions that are worth my time which is what an open world game is all about. It feels like they don't want you to explore their world but go through the 70 hour story. It feels like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 all over again which was a great game but after 40 hours of gameplay and story I just didn't care that much. If there was more to do in the world other than roam around and collect stuff, maybe I would enjoy this game more but it just feels too slow and meticulous for my taste. I am still playing it and I'm about 12 hours into the game but I still haven't been totally invested yet. Will this be on my ultimate shelf, sadly no because I would never want to sit through that god awful tutorial again.
Keep an eye out for my Top 3 of October post, the last day of each month I will have one to kind of chronicle things that I've done and what we thought about them! But here's what to look forward to for next month!
-Bohemian Rhapsody (Nov. 2)
-Wreck-it-Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet (Nov. 21)
-Nutcracker and the Four Realms (Nov. 2)
-Fallout 76 (Nov. 14)
-Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee (Nov. 16)
-Civilization VI (Nov. 16)
-"Post-Apocalypto" by Tenacious D (Nov. 2)
-"No Tourists" by the Prodigy (Nov. 2)
-"String Theory" by Hanson (Nov. 9)
-"The Capital Studio Sessions" by Jeff Goldblum (Nov. 9)
-"Simulation Theory" by Muse (Nov. 9)
-"Delta" by Mumford and Sons (Nov. 16)
-"Shiny and Oh So Bright Vol. 1/ LP: No Past, No Future, No Sun" by Smashing Pumpkins (Nov. 16)
-"Yandhi" by Kanye West (Nov. 23)
It's gonna be a jam packed month so make sure you're reading and staying up to date! Thank you all for reading! If you guys enjoy the blog please make sure to follow it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! Thank you for being awesome and Happy Halloween!
All the Best, Ross
NEWS!
- Fallout 76 will have micro transactions; I will not be buying any because I already paid money to buy the game.
-Playstation Classic is missing some great games such as Spyro and Crash Bandicoot! They just remastered both games so I'm assuming it's a financial move.
-Wreck-it-Ralph and Vanellope are going to get new Meet and Greets at both EPCOT and California Adventure.
-Rhett and Link are kicking of Vidcon in London with a live concert! These guys can do no wrong in my book.
-Adi Shankar is rumored to produce a "Legend of Zelda Show". I don't understand why they keep trying this, the main character never speaks!
-Marvel Fans put up a "Rehire James Gunn" billboard just outside of Disneyland. I am totally onboard with this, many other actors they used in other films have done/said some inappropriate stuff throughout their careers as well.
"Masters of the Sun Vol. 1" by Black Eyed Peas
It's been a while since I've heard of anything from the Black Eyed Peas, since 2011 actually. They have always been in the public eye from their breakout single "Where is the Love" to controversial songs like "Let's Get it Started" (which I know is not the real title). But I have gone back and listened to their older music before Fergie and it is fantastic! That's my kind of hip-hop! "Get Original", "Weekends", and "Request + Line" are phenomenal songs that focus on the lyrics and the groove. And if you're reading this and you know me you know that I'm all about the groove! So this new album is a return to form for them. They are back down to 3 extremely talented members Will.I.AM, Apl.de.ap, and Taboo which is such a great balance of voices. This trio has been the heart and soul of the group and in my eyes are the only three members that matter. I do enjoy Fergie and some of her music but I feel like adding her to the group's roster was just a way to get noticed and it worked. So now they're back to the trio for their 7th studio album. To be totally fair, I am not the biggest fan of hip-hop music. I enjoy listening to it casually but not full albums so take everything I say with that in mind. This album does focus on the rapping aspect of hip-hop which is what I believe has been missing from hip-hop the past few years. With emo rap and mumble rap the messages of the songs have changed and so has the need for good flow and rhymes. This album along with Eminem's "Kamikaze" album are a call to the rappers out there to do more with their rhymes and give their music a purpose. For me, a lot of this album blends together and it's all enjoyable but I can only truly pick out one song from this album and that is "CONSTANT part 1 and 2" which is featuring Slick Rick. This song sticks out to me more than any other on the album for 3 reasons. 1. I like both beats and styles that happen throughout the song. 2. I love Slick Rick's classic "tick tock you don't stop" used throughout the song. 3. The focus is back on the lyrics and not on the beat. From 2009 on the Black Eyed Peas forgot about the purpose of their music and that is the words and I truly like feel like this album and "CONSTANT" is a step in the right direction for the group and for rap music as a whole. Will this be on vinyl on my ultimate shelf, no. But I do understand the album's purpose and I do appreciate what they are doing as musicians.
Apple October 2018 Event
Apple revealed some new devices this week which will be available next week. The first is a completely redesigned MacBook Air which seems very similar to the 2015 MacBook which is what I have. It's a great "budget" friendly option for those who don't have 1500 dollars to spend on a laptop but to me as a regular consumer the changes aren't that much other than faster and a better screen than the 2015 MacBook. But it does keep the 3 colors silver, gold, and space grey. Next the revealed the updated Mac mini which is only in space grey and is perfect for people who like Mac minis which is...some people I guess. Finally we had the new iPad Pro lineup. These iPads come in 2 sizes of 11" and 12.9", use Face ID which means no home button, use the A12X Bionic chip to make it the fastest iPad yet, launches with a new Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, but only comes in 2 colors?!? What the hell Apple! As soon as I start going gold to have a nice looking ecosystem you stop making a gold color. My MacBook, Apple Watch, and 9.7 iPad Pro are all gold with black accessories; why doesn't this iPad have a gold color? Was it that difficult to make? So I will keeping my set-up the way it is until they update that and add a gold color. This is for aesthetic purposes. I've I'm gonna be stylish I might as well be gold. That is all for the Apple Event, make a gold iPad.
Red Dead Redemption 2
This is Rockstar's pride and joy. The cream of the crop. The ultimate open world game and the ultimate cowboy game. So... let me... play... the... damn... game! The tutorial was 2 and a half hours long and when I died once because I "abandoned" the mission it sent me WAY back. The story needs to unfold, I get that; but this was just as bad if not worse than Tutorial Island on Pokemon Sun and Moon. They wouldn't let me run, ride my horse faster than a gallop, or give me some practice time with the controls before sending me into a firefight and then punishing me when I fail. Of course I'm gonna fail, I have no idea how to play this game yet! Once we got out of the tutorial and the game opened up it became a lot more enjoyable. It looks fantastic, the music is great, the voice acting and facial renderings are near perfect. But the amount of time riding horses, talking, and waiting for other NPCs to do their thing really take away from this being a fantastic game. Other reviewers have said wonderful things about it, IGN gave it 10 out of 10, but I'm just not feeling it. It just seems like there's a lot of wasted potential and the quests are sometimes amazing like the oil bank heist, or getting drunk with Lenny at the Saloon (best moment in that game so far). But others are really annoying and time consuming like bringing an old lady back to town but the game not letting me ride horse faster because she's on the horse with me. Another useless side quest was finding a guy upset at his girlfriend and talking to him but then that's it. There aren't any real side missions that are worth my time which is what an open world game is all about. It feels like they don't want you to explore their world but go through the 70 hour story. It feels like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 all over again which was a great game but after 40 hours of gameplay and story I just didn't care that much. If there was more to do in the world other than roam around and collect stuff, maybe I would enjoy this game more but it just feels too slow and meticulous for my taste. I am still playing it and I'm about 12 hours into the game but I still haven't been totally invested yet. Will this be on my ultimate shelf, sadly no because I would never want to sit through that god awful tutorial again.
Keep an eye out for my Top 3 of October post, the last day of each month I will have one to kind of chronicle things that I've done and what we thought about them! But here's what to look forward to for next month!
-Bohemian Rhapsody (Nov. 2)
-Wreck-it-Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet (Nov. 21)
-Nutcracker and the Four Realms (Nov. 2)
-Fallout 76 (Nov. 14)
-Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee (Nov. 16)
-Civilization VI (Nov. 16)
-"Post-Apocalypto" by Tenacious D (Nov. 2)
-"No Tourists" by the Prodigy (Nov. 2)
-"String Theory" by Hanson (Nov. 9)
-"The Capital Studio Sessions" by Jeff Goldblum (Nov. 9)
-"Simulation Theory" by Muse (Nov. 9)
-"Delta" by Mumford and Sons (Nov. 16)
-"Shiny and Oh So Bright Vol. 1/ LP: No Past, No Future, No Sun" by Smashing Pumpkins (Nov. 16)
-"Yandhi" by Kanye West (Nov. 23)
It's gonna be a jam packed month so make sure you're reading and staying up to date! Thank you all for reading! If you guys enjoy the blog please make sure to follow it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! Thank you for being awesome and Happy Halloween!
All the Best, Ross
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